F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Before swapping out my MB, just a quick check to make sure I didn’t overlook anything...

Before swapping out my MB, just a quick check to make sure I didn’t overlook anything...

Before swapping out my MB, just a quick check to make sure I didn’t overlook anything...

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BadMemory
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206
12-11-2025, 04:52 AM
#1
Hi all --
I think I have a bad motherboard, but want to be 100% sure I didn't miss anything -- esp. because the timing of the failure seems like a strange coincidence...
This is an 8-or-so-year-old system built by a friend (I bought it from him a few years ago). Asus Sabertooth S77, i7 2600k. The CPU water cooler died (fan error, high tems), so I replaced it with a similar Corsair unit. Everything worked fine for a couple of days -- then I turned the system off, went to turn it back on again, and it was dead.
I've got a green light on the motherboard, but no action when I press the power button (I've tried two switches) or short the power pins. I went through the "Won't POST" check list in this forum (THANK YOU for that!!! Very helpful and things have changed since i last built a system) including testing the power supply by shorting the green wire to ground. When I do that, the power supply and case fans come on, but when I reconnect the MB it won't turn on (and no case or power supply fans).
I've pulled the MB out of the computer, put it on an insulated surface and connected just the big power lead and the smaller 8-pin CPU lead. Same result -- green light on the MB but no power. This is with and without CPU (no cooler attached, video card out and no RAM). I pulled the spacers out of the cooler backplane thinking that could have shorted something when I attached it, but still no dice -- green power light on the MB but no cooling fans, no beeps, etc. (Not 100% sure my MB speaker is good.)
Sure seems like a dead MB, but also seems like a strange coincidence that it happened so soon after the cooler replacement.
Can anyone think of anything I ought to try before I shop for a new MB?
Any advice would be appreciated, and thank you in advance!
Aaron
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B
BadMemory
12-11-2025, 04:52 AM #1

Hi all --
I think I have a bad motherboard, but want to be 100% sure I didn't miss anything -- esp. because the timing of the failure seems like a strange coincidence...
This is an 8-or-so-year-old system built by a friend (I bought it from him a few years ago). Asus Sabertooth S77, i7 2600k. The CPU water cooler died (fan error, high tems), so I replaced it with a similar Corsair unit. Everything worked fine for a couple of days -- then I turned the system off, went to turn it back on again, and it was dead.
I've got a green light on the motherboard, but no action when I press the power button (I've tried two switches) or short the power pins. I went through the "Won't POST" check list in this forum (THANK YOU for that!!! Very helpful and things have changed since i last built a system) including testing the power supply by shorting the green wire to ground. When I do that, the power supply and case fans come on, but when I reconnect the MB it won't turn on (and no case or power supply fans).
I've pulled the MB out of the computer, put it on an insulated surface and connected just the big power lead and the smaller 8-pin CPU lead. Same result -- green light on the MB but no power. This is with and without CPU (no cooler attached, video card out and no RAM). I pulled the spacers out of the cooler backplane thinking that could have shorted something when I attached it, but still no dice -- green power light on the MB but no cooling fans, no beeps, etc. (Not 100% sure my MB speaker is good.)
Sure seems like a dead MB, but also seems like a strange coincidence that it happened so soon after the cooler replacement.
Can anyone think of anything I ought to try before I shop for a new MB?
Any advice would be appreciated, and thank you in advance!
Aaron

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Ohanahillgirls
Junior Member
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3
12-11-2025, 05:01 AM
#2
It could be more than just chance, as they age. MBs and their parts become worn and brittle, and each movement might cause cracks or looseness.
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Ohanahillgirls
12-11-2025, 05:01 AM #2

It could be more than just chance, as they age. MBs and their parts become worn and brittle, and each movement might cause cracks or looseness.

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